Secret Service said to have denied requests for more security at Trump events (original) (raw)

Democracy Dies in Darkness

Top officials repeatedly rejected requests from Trump’s security detail for more manpower and gear at events before attempted assassination, at times citing lack of resources, people familiar with the asks said.

U.S. Secret Service agents remove former president Donald Trump from the stage during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. on July 13. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

July 20, 2024 at 6:48 p.m. EDT

Top officials at the U.S. Secret Service repeatedly denied requests for additional resources and personnel sought by Donald Trump’s security detail in the two years leading up to his attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday, according to four people familiar with the requests.

Agents charged with protecting the former president requested magnetometers and more agents to screen attendees at sporting events and other large public gatherings Trump attended, as well as additional snipers and specialty teams at other outdoor events, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive security discussions. The requests, which have not been previously reported, were sometimes denied by senior officials at the agency, who cited various reasons, including a lack of resources at an agency that has long struggled with staffing shortages, they said.